ELMONT, N.Y. — Sixteen years later, Gary Stevens remembers all the details like they happened yesterday.

Stevens was the jockey on Victory Gallop, who denied Real Quiet, a 4-5 favorite, in the 1998 Belmont Stakes, spoiling the latter's Triple Crown bid. After Victory Gallop's closing run, Stevens had to sweat out a photo finish.

"I thought I won, but I wasn't sure," Stevens said. "It was that close that I couldn't be certain. There had been contact made between the two of us just a couple of strides before the finish, though, and when I pulled up, I went to one of the outriders that had a walkie-talkie up to the stewards, and I told him that if I didn't win the photo, then I wanted to claim foul against Real Quiet.

"I was praying that I beat him fair and square. I really think if they would have disqualified Real Quiet that day, those New Yorkers might have burned down Belmont Park."

Fast forward to Wednesday's post position draw for Saturday's Belmont, when California Chrome tries to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. With California Chrome, the 3-5 early morning favorite starting from the No. 2 post, held in such regard by his growing fan base, the handlers of the other 10 horses carefully are heaping respect on the latest people's champion.

"He's a very, very good horse," said Rick Violette, the trainer of 20-1 shot and New York-bred Samraat. "If he's a great horse [Saturday], we're all running for second-place money."

Yet for all the bouquets they're throwing in the favorite's direction, nobody is conceding the final leg of the Triple Crown to California Chrome. Like the 12 other Triple Crown contenders who've failed in the Belmont since Affirmed's success in 1978, California Chrome could be a victim of running three races in five weeks or the rigors of running a mile and a half for the first, and probably only, time in his career.

"There's nobody in this race, before or after, that can say they knew how their horse would respond [to running a mile and a half]," Violette said.

"We're all in virgin territory."

As Billy Gowan, the trainer of Ride On Curlin, who came on strongly to finish second in Preakness, points out, California Chrome had perfect trips in winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

"He's never had anything in his way," said Gowan.

Now he has obstacles: The uncertainty about how he'll perform on short rest and how Victor Espinoza, his jockey, will navigate the sweeping turns of the Belmont track, or "Big Sandy" as people in the industry refer to it because of its deep sand-based surface.

Steven Coburn, California Chrome's flamboyant co-owner, is critical of owners and trainers who want to play spoilers in the Belmont after not running in the Derby and Preakness. Ride On Curlin and General A Rod are the only other horses who ran in both.

"If you're nominated for the Triple Crown, it should be all or nothing," said Coburn.

"Everybody should have to run in all three races. These other horses shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose."

Few, if any, jockeys would pick Belmont Park to run the most important race in their careers. This is unlike any course they've encountered.

"You need speed to win the Kentucky Derby," said Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who won two Belmonts and will be part of NBC's broadcast team for this race.

"The Belmont is about stamina."

And good riding. More than any other race, the Belmont is a test of a jockey's skills — and patience.